Knockdown basket-stand.



HE]. WHEELER.

KNOCKDOWN BASKET STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8. 1911 INVENTOR HAHRYJWHEELER.

Patented June 25, 1918,

HARRY .i. wirnnnnnj onKAnsAs orrY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 Inn asnnnvnnnn WALTER J. nnoc cnousn, BOTH or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

intents.

KNOCKDOW'N BASKET-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patngntugd June 25, 1918'.

Application filed June. 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,265.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, HARRY J. Tr-manna, a citizenof. the, United States, residing-at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Knockdown B asket-Stand, of which the: following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in knockdownbasket stands; and the objects ofmy invention are,,first, to provide acheap, durable adjustable. knockdown basket stand which may be transported in convenient package-and readily organized without the use of'nails, screws, or other fastening devices; second, toprovide a plate which shall operate to receive the standardsand hold the stand rigid; third, to provide specially located transverse rods toengage. the standards and detain the plate in operative position; and, fourth, toprovide a plurality of strips of fabric having their end portions mounted on rods adapted to penetrate the standards, the strips beingstretched'around the rods located below tllGnIfOdS atthe ends of the strip to form a basket above or below the plate.

I attain these, and other objects by means of the parts and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the stand, and showing the basket located at the lower end of the stand, a portion of one vertical side of the basket being cut away to disclose the method of forming the bottom of the basket; Fig. 2, is a perspective view of my invention, and showing the basket at the upper end of the stand and the plate in operative position below the basket; Fig. 3, is a plan view of the upper side of the plate, and showing a tray receptacle therein; Fig. 4:, is a plan view of the inner sides of the standards, and showin the special arrange ment of the bores or hdles to receive the rods to clamp the plate in operative position; Fig. 5, is a plan view of the strip of fabric mounted on rods to'form the basket, and, Fig. 6, is a view of the edge of the fabric stripand showing the method of mounting same on the rods.

Similar reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The standards 1, 2, 3 and 4:, are duplicates, and are made of any suitable material, preferably wood, because of its well known yielding nature when penetrated. The

standards are, formed substantially: square in cross section. Holes 5, are formed in the upper,intermediate, and lower portions of the inner sides of thestandards, in which, the ends ofhorizontal clamping rods 6, are. pressed witha suitable degree of frictional contact to detain the rods in the standards. Holes 7, formedidentical with holes 5, are formed in the other inner sides of the standards, a little distance below the plane of the latter holes, and horizontal supporting rods 8, are entered therein with suitable friction to detain them in place. The holes 5 and 7, are located and designed to receive the rods 6 and 8, so that the latterrods shall lend form and stability to the stand and cooperate with the rods 6, to provide selective. stations onthe standards to receive a plate 9,

having its corners cut away at. right angles and adapted to receive the inner sides of the standards on the'shoulders 10. The plate may be entered at any station prepared for it OIL the standards and cooperate therewith and the rods thereat to provide stability and rigidity in the stand and serve as a useful table or shelf, as will be explained, The spacing apart of the rods in the groups of rods forming the selective stations for the plate is determined by the thickness of the plate. The location of groups of rods at the upper, lower, and intermediate portions of the standards or stand provides a plurality of stations which may be selected alternately to receive the plate 9, which, in the upper station operates as a table and in the lower stations as a shelf, in addition to its functional performance in holding the stand perfectly organized by cooperative frictional engagement of its parts. Strips 11 and 12, of any suitable fabric, preferably woven fabr10, having widths substantially corresponding with the vertical side spaces of the stand, one of which strips is provided at its ends with rods 6, and the other strip with rods' 8. The strip 11, having the rods 8, is of a length adapted to pass under the next lower rods 8 and upward to the upper rods 8. The strip 12, is a little longer, and is adapted to be similarly stretched under the lower rods 6, and upward to the upper rods 6. The said strips 11 and 12, stretched in the manner described, form a basket portion, as shown in Fig. 2. If the basket is preferred at a lower plane, the strips are stretched under the rods at the lower portion of the stand, as

shown in Fig. 1. When the basket is occupying the upper portion of the stand, the plate 9, may be entered at the intermedlate station and form a rigid bottom for the basket, or, it may be entered in the lower station to form a shelf below the basket. When-a table is desired, the plate 9, is entered'in the upper station, as shown in Fig. 1. The strips may be removed from the rods 7 and duplicates of plate 9, entered in the unoccupied stations to provide shelves for dlsplaying books and the like. The standards, rods, plate, and strips of fabric of the knockdown stand which I have described, may be packed in a compact bundle, in carton or otherwise, for shipment by mail (parcel post) and readily organized by any person capable of exerting ordinary hand pressure. The rods, excepting the upper group, are pressed into the standards, excepting one standard. The strips are provided with their rods and stretched as'herein-above described. The plate 9, is then entered between the rods comprising the station selected. The free standard is then forced to receive/the free ends of the'rods, thereby bringing the shoulders 10, on the plate 9, to

bear against the adjacent inner sides of the standards, thus holding the stand rigid by frictional engagement of its constituent parts. The rods 8, support the plate 9, and the rods 6, when properly entered in the standards, will bear down upon the plate, the maximum of pressure, in this respect,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for being attained when the standards are brought to bear on the shoulders 10. Ordinary pressure by the hands will bring the parts to place, the friction involved in the penetration of the standards by the rods operates to hold the parts organized, without the use of any fastening devices.

Having described my invention what I claim is In a knockdown basket stand, the combination, of vertically extending standards having flat inner sides, oppositely disposed horizontally extending supporting rods penetrating the one inner side of said standards, oppositely disposed horizontally extending clamping rods penetrating the other of the inner sides of said standards, a plate interposed between said rods and having its corners cut away to receive the inner sides of said standards, a strip of fabric connected between opposite-disposed supporting rods and passing under the below adjacent supporting rods, and a strip of fabric connected between oppositely disposed clampin rods and passing under the below adjacent c amping rods and overlapping said first mentioned strip and there y forming with said first mentioned strip and said standards a basket portion.

HARRY J. WHEELER.

D. M. SMITH.

five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

